I live in southern missouri and i'm trying to find a small sauger for my tank, but i have never caught one small enough to keep. What kind of habitat
do small sauger prefer, i mostly go to small spring fed rivers in the ozarks. What would be a good capture method, and if i do catch one what would be the best tempeture to keep him at. Please help
sauger habitat
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, May 28 2008 12:48 AM
22 replies to this topic
#2
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Posted 28 May 2008 - 07:30 AM
Please be sure to check MO regulations first. Is there a minimum length on sauger? Is there a season on sauger? If either of these is true, it is probably illegal for you to put a juvenile sauger in your tank. Also be aware that it is very irresponsible to release a fish in the wild once it has been in captivity, so either be prepared to provide a large tank or private pond for the sauger, or be prepared to kill it when it outgrows your tank.
#3
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Posted 28 May 2008 - 08:18 AM
I just looked at the Missouri regulations. The minimum length on sauger is 15". http://mdc.mo.gov/do...egs/fishsum.pdf
We had the 2006 convention in Missouri, so a number of folks should be quite familiar with regulations on collecting/keeping native fish.
We had the 2006 convention in Missouri, so a number of folks should be quite familiar with regulations on collecting/keeping native fish.
#4
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 05:07 AM
Thank you for the info,
Is there any loop holes that would make it legal to keep a young sauger.
Is there any loop holes that would make it legal to keep a young sauger.
#5
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 06:22 AM
Is there any loop holes that would make it legal to keep a young sauger.
Perhaps buying one from a hatchery or a liscensed vendor. But again as Newt said, keep in mind that you cannot let it go when it gets too big whether you caught it or bought it so unless you know you can rehome it or will be able to hit it in the head with a hammer when the time comes I would advise against it.
Edited by scottefontay, 29 May 2008 - 06:22 AM.
#6
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 12:03 PM
Well if it realy came down to it outgrowing its tank i geuss i could alway's frie it up.
But I dont think I have the heart to eat one of my pets. No matter how good they taste.
But what about these trout i catch in here in Missouri, they raise them in big hatcheries feeding them pellet'd food, and then release them into to the wild to fend for them selves and they seem to do good and i'm not talking about little fingerlings but mature 12-14in fish sometimes bigger?
And with the legality issue, I wonder if i captured it on private land if i could keep it legally even thoe its undersize. I know with Lakes and ponds that are privately owned in Missouri state fishing regulations dont apply, but i think its defferent reguarding flowing water.
I dont know what i'll do but i would love to have a sauger there such an awsome fish, i love there body shape and pretty markings... If i cant obtain a sauger i think im going to try for a pickerel there's no size limit on them and i know where to catch juvenile speicemens already, I have a thing for highly predetory fish i love watching them stalk and attack there prey.
But I dont think I have the heart to eat one of my pets. No matter how good they taste.
But what about these trout i catch in here in Missouri, they raise them in big hatcheries feeding them pellet'd food, and then release them into to the wild to fend for them selves and they seem to do good and i'm not talking about little fingerlings but mature 12-14in fish sometimes bigger?
And with the legality issue, I wonder if i captured it on private land if i could keep it legally even thoe its undersize. I know with Lakes and ponds that are privately owned in Missouri state fishing regulations dont apply, but i think its defferent reguarding flowing water.
I dont know what i'll do but i would love to have a sauger there such an awsome fish, i love there body shape and pretty markings... If i cant obtain a sauger i think im going to try for a pickerel there's no size limit on them and i know where to catch juvenile speicemens already, I have a thing for highly predetory fish i love watching them stalk and attack there prey.
Edited by basssmaster, 29 May 2008 - 12:29 PM.
#7
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 12:22 PM
Just because the gov't does it...doesn't mean they won't crack down on you for doing the same. Releasing fish that have been held in captivity is illegal in most states, and more to the point, is dangerous to wild fish populations as it is an easy route for exotic pathogens to enter the wild. It is part of NANFA's code of ethics to encourage people to take home only fish they can care for long-term, and to never release captive fish.
In most or all states flowing waters are 'waters of the state' and subject to all DNR regulations, while private ponds not connected to streams may be exempted.
Really the best person to answer your questions would be Missouri DNR personnel. Call or email a query to them and see what the response is; then please share it with the rest of us!
Many of us are also anglers, and share your interest in keeping gamefish, but the fact is sauger and other big predators are just not practical pets unless you can afford the tremendous tanks and large quantities of food they require. Please look through the threads and photo galleries here and see some of the many much more attractive and conveniently-sized native fishes available; Missouri has an impressive native ichthyofauna with plemty of spectacular sunfishes, darters, shiners, daces, killifishes, and so on, many of which are excellent aquarium fish.
In most or all states flowing waters are 'waters of the state' and subject to all DNR regulations, while private ponds not connected to streams may be exempted.
Really the best person to answer your questions would be Missouri DNR personnel. Call or email a query to them and see what the response is; then please share it with the rest of us!
Many of us are also anglers, and share your interest in keeping gamefish, but the fact is sauger and other big predators are just not practical pets unless you can afford the tremendous tanks and large quantities of food they require. Please look through the threads and photo galleries here and see some of the many much more attractive and conveniently-sized native fishes available; Missouri has an impressive native ichthyofauna with plemty of spectacular sunfishes, darters, shiners, daces, killifishes, and so on, many of which are excellent aquarium fish.
#8
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 02:34 PM
I wasn't saying i would release any of my fish, i was refering to the trout thing as a thought, I would never want to effect an ecosystem in any way.
I'm not going thru the hastle with the sauger even tho it would be easy enough to ask the D.N.R. since I live 300yrds away from the Missouri Department of natural resources headqaurters. But i still might contact them just to get the info incase i want to pursue the sauger in the future.
I think I'm just going to attemp to catch a Pickerel for my tank instead, I see small 2-4in speicemens fairly often in the
backwaters of small spring fed rivers in my area.
And I do know that my state has a hole gamat of beutiful fish, I catch a wide variety of Darters, and minnow's that have just stuning colors and am currently keeping a Longeard sunfish and an Ambloplities speices of some sort. But I am planing on seting up another aquarium for smaller speices like darters and minnows.
I'm not going thru the hastle with the sauger even tho it would be easy enough to ask the D.N.R. since I live 300yrds away from the Missouri Department of natural resources headqaurters. But i still might contact them just to get the info incase i want to pursue the sauger in the future.
I think I'm just going to attemp to catch a Pickerel for my tank instead, I see small 2-4in speicemens fairly often in the
backwaters of small spring fed rivers in my area.
And I do know that my state has a hole gamat of beutiful fish, I catch a wide variety of Darters, and minnow's that have just stuning colors and am currently keeping a Longeard sunfish and an Ambloplities speices of some sort. But I am planing on seting up another aquarium for smaller speices like darters and minnows.
#9
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 02:37 PM
Just make sure to learn how to distinguish redfin/grass pickerels from chain pickerels. You definitely want a redfin/grass. They max out at 10", but are very cool Chain pickerel will get too large for *any* tank (that any of us can afford, anynow).I think I'm just going to attemp to catch a Pickerel for my tank instead, I see small 2-4in speicemens fairly often in the
backwaters of small spring fed rivers in my area.
#10
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 02:57 PM
Would a pickerel thrive in the same water temp as my largemouth i know the largemouth could handle a higher tempeture extreme, but what would be the best temp for both. And I'll have to make sure i check up on the speices identification. I know both types live in my area, But I know one river where i have seen pickerel in acsses of 2ft.
Edited by basssmaster, 29 May 2008 - 02:59 PM.
#11
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 03:03 PM
Assuming you've already checked with your state law and everything is kosher....I want to offer my two cents. Darters are honestly very much like Sauger (or Sauger are very much like darters depending on your perspective).
Below is a larger local darter (Blackside darter) that despite it's somewhat bland appearance looks quite a bit like the Sauger you seek but remain active in home. I know people that have kept them only to complain that Sauger only move when food is in the tank.
Darters come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Below is another local darter with a bit more color (Orangethroat darter). I think you can have your cake (predatory Sauger like thing) and eat it to (have color that rivals any tropical fish you can keep).
Below is a larger local darter (Blackside darter) that despite it's somewhat bland appearance looks quite a bit like the Sauger you seek but remain active in home. I know people that have kept them only to complain that Sauger only move when food is in the tank.
Darters come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Below is another local darter with a bit more color (Orangethroat darter). I think you can have your cake (predatory Sauger like thing) and eat it to (have color that rivals any tropical fish you can keep).
#12
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#13
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 04:24 PM
RE: pickerel- I see them in bathwater warm swamps here, so I don't think you have to worry about the temp range, but they may just not be compatible with your bass. Both do fine at room tem. Pickerel are not as aggressive as bass, in my experience, and so may not get enough to eat. Also, if there is much size difference, the larger fish may well attempt to eat the smaller. Pickerel will take surprisingly large prey, as will bass. Even if they're the same size when you put them in the tank, one may outgrow the other.
Grass pickerels have the snout-tip-to-eye distance shorter than the eye-to-back-of-gill-cover distance, and the dark streak under the eye slants a little bit down and back. Chain pickerel have a longer snout, vertical suborbital streak, and usually have a cleaner pattern with pale vertical streaks on the upper sides and a row of pale longitudinal streaks about midway up the sides, compared to the more tiger-like pattern of grass pickerel.
Grass pickerels have the snout-tip-to-eye distance shorter than the eye-to-back-of-gill-cover distance, and the dark streak under the eye slants a little bit down and back. Chain pickerel have a longer snout, vertical suborbital streak, and usually have a cleaner pattern with pale vertical streaks on the upper sides and a row of pale longitudinal streaks about midway up the sides, compared to the more tiger-like pattern of grass pickerel.
#14
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 04:31 PM
I agree with teleost: Darters are amazing little predators! If I put a few small guppies into my native tank, the darters are right there alongside the orangespotted sunfish hunting them down. And the sunfish quit looking long before the darters.
#15
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 05:16 PM
I looked at the link about the pickerel and Im pretty sure that the pickerel from where Im going to collect are grass Pickerel.
I was going to add
alot of vegetation in my tank for him to hide plus they prefer thick cover in the wild. Hopefully I can get one close to the size of my bass, but a bit smaller.
And I do know how big there appetite is. I caught a 6in Pickerel on a 4in inch minnow when i was fishing one time.
I dont think i have to worry about my bass eating him. He prefers small prey items for some reason, and the bass has pretty much associated my presents with food. I put crawfish in his tank one night when he was aware and they were still there in the morning till i showed them to him. By showing him I mean he follows my finger tip where ever it goes when I press it agains't the glass. Even when my hands in it to clean the tank he just hovers right next to my hand. Kinda wierd.
And about the darter pics posted, The top one realy does look like a sauger, I probably would have mistaked it for a juvenile sauger if i caught one.
I didnt know that darter's would chase and eat guppies, I always thought they just fed on stuff like insect larva and and tiny bugs off the bottom. I think my next tank will be setup for darters, I catch enough of them seineing for minnows. brilliantly colored ones too.
I would think that sunfish would bully the darters but they get along OK? I caught one darter out off the maries river, here in Missouri that i could never identify, I even went on the DNRs webpage and couldnt find it. The best way to describe it would, a cross between a logperch and the niangua darter.
What are some of the darter speices in the Missouri ozarks they are colorful and do well in an aquarium?
I was going to add
alot of vegetation in my tank for him to hide plus they prefer thick cover in the wild. Hopefully I can get one close to the size of my bass, but a bit smaller.
And I do know how big there appetite is. I caught a 6in Pickerel on a 4in inch minnow when i was fishing one time.
I dont think i have to worry about my bass eating him. He prefers small prey items for some reason, and the bass has pretty much associated my presents with food. I put crawfish in his tank one night when he was aware and they were still there in the morning till i showed them to him. By showing him I mean he follows my finger tip where ever it goes when I press it agains't the glass. Even when my hands in it to clean the tank he just hovers right next to my hand. Kinda wierd.
And about the darter pics posted, The top one realy does look like a sauger, I probably would have mistaked it for a juvenile sauger if i caught one.
I didnt know that darter's would chase and eat guppies, I always thought they just fed on stuff like insect larva and and tiny bugs off the bottom. I think my next tank will be setup for darters, I catch enough of them seineing for minnows. brilliantly colored ones too.
I would think that sunfish would bully the darters but they get along OK? I caught one darter out off the maries river, here in Missouri that i could never identify, I even went on the DNRs webpage and couldnt find it. The best way to describe it would, a cross between a logperch and the niangua darter.
What are some of the darter speices in the Missouri ozarks they are colorful and do well in an aquarium?
#16
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 05:20 PM
What is the range of the black sided darter?
And now that I think about it my buddy large darter strike and get hooked on a crankbait, while smallmouth fishing, he thought it was a baby walleye but i knew better.
And now that I think about it my buddy large darter strike and get hooked on a crankbait, while smallmouth fishing, he thought it was a baby walleye but i knew better.
#17
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 05:20 PM
Well if it realy came down to it outgrowing its tank i geuss i could alway's frie it up.
Do you know butch by any chance?
#18
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 05:28 PM
"The Fishes of Missouri" used to be available on the Missouri DNR website. I bought a couple a year or two ago. I can't seem to find the link but you probably know the Missouri DNR site better than I since you live there. It's a book I would recommend to you.
#19
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 05:28 PM
Butch, No cant say i do.
Fishes of missouri, I have that and they only list a limited number of speices, Ive caught a few fish that aren't listed in that publication.
Fishes of missouri, I have that and they only list a limited number of speices, Ive caught a few fish that aren't listed in that publication.
Edited by basssmaster, 29 May 2008 - 05:30 PM.
#20
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 05:30 PM
He's a good fellow - you have a lot in common.
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